Tag: Local Events

 

Can You See the Forest for the Trees?

As we approach the Fall season and the start for many folks in the Nordic Community their journey to a Winter Event like the American Birkie, Swedish Vassaloppet, World Masters or a local 5km. For some this journey begins in Late April or Early May, but many it begins in October or when the snow starts to fall softly from the heavens. Also during this time many local ski clubs start to put ideas together for the upcoming season, reflect on the past season, look at budgets equipment etc. With those thing happening I have been hearing some crazy thoughts being said to folks you are TRULY Out There to Support Nordic. (Don’t support that group, they have different goals than ours, or I don’t like so and so) As a community we all need to sit back and look at a number of things to ensure that our sport in the USA gains traction, grows programming and develops long-term sustainability.

1. Support ALL Clubs (USSA, CXC, LNR, NESNA, NANA, FAST & Female, etc) and the things they are doing, like them or not are things that are trying to grow the sport in YOUR community.

2. Support trail Systems. Be it your local 3km loop, 20km trail with a lite section, or the Birkie Trail. All places that are being maintained for skiing require funding! So if you are skiing at a number of trail systems, sign up for even the individual membership. Put your name in the ring and go to an event the trail is having or spread the word to others. Unlike many of the European countries Nordic is not a Federally supported activity in our country (we can dream).

3. Introduce someone to the sport. There are 2 ways to do this. 1.Take someone who has never skied and get them Out There on the snow this season. Ski 1km with them on a flat section of trail and see the joy it brings. Do not take them to some World Cup course and say come on. GO somewhere that seems so easy it hurts and see what introducing someone to our sport in a positive way can do to bring a NEW dimension to the sport for you. 2. If that is to much donate to an organization such as NNF, CXC, etc. These organizations are ones that give funding to athletes as well as run “Learn to ski” programs “Skis to Schools” and such where your monies can get NEW skiers started.

 

I will leave you with these 3 simple things. We are not asking you to get on a trail board or give 20 hours to trail work or coaching. Start small! If the Sport of Nordic is something that you find important to you, we must learn to work together, agree to disagree and say “What we are doing, is that growing the sport in some fashion?” If we as a collective group of Trail Board Members, Parents, Kids, Shop Owners, Teachers, Manuf. Rep., etc. do this we will see OUR sport grow to NEW Heights!

 

 We challenge you to look Out There and SEE The Forest for the Trees!

 

 

 

 

The People who think they are Crazy enough to change the World~ Are the ONES who Do!

 

Original post from August 2014

DXC Tour Duluth

http://www.duluthxc.com/tour-duluth/

The Duluth XC Ski Club invites skiers of all ages and skill levels to visit their favorite trails and explore new ones. Ski 5k or 75k! Bring your family & friends, meet other skiers along the way, then join us at Hartley Nature Center at 5:30pm for a post-skiing celebration (beer, food, and socializing). DXC board members will give a brief “year in review” presentation after dinner.

 

 

Deer Fly Chase ~ 5th Annual

Do not miss the Deer Fly Chase on SATURDAY OCTOBER 3rd.  So mark your calendars and plan to race (or volunteer)!!

The course will be as epic as ever — outstanding terrain, a mix of gravel roads, ski trails and the best singletrack around (new singletrack every year, that’s our promise to you).

The open class has two race distances: Long course, 28 miles , Short course, 17 miles.
Juniors choose from: High School race, 17 miles, Middle School race, 9 miles.  And discounted entry fee of just $10!!

For those familiar with the area, key route highlights are:  Rolling paced start on blacktop from Dog Island; the race will start with the Rattlesnake hill equalizer climb; rolling dirt roads offer plenty of fast riding; balanced with technical singletrack and ski trails for passing; a long gravel climb on Deer Fly Trail and even more sweet singletrack, will further separate the contenders (long course racers);  fast open ski trail finish near Dog Island.
Other unbelievable highlights include: $25 pre-registration, sponsored food and Fat Tire beer to all finishers (ages 21+), prizes and awards to top finishers.

Sponsors include: New Belgium Brewing/Park Ridge Distributing, Spring Street Sports, WI Scale, Nature’s Pharmacy, Lindsley Chiropractic, Gordy’s County Market
REGISTRATION is open, so REGISTER here
http://chippewaoffroad.org/events/deer-fly-chase

Out There with Ben Saxton (Fundraiser)

Minnesota Native Ben Saxton!

Aug 22nd we held a Great Fundraiser for Ben in the Twin Cities. From the Youth event to the Evening at the Saxton home. A Great experience. Wonderful learning, food, conversation and great presentation by Ben that evening about SMS, US Ski Team and his travels. Next time YOU should be Out There!

We are working with Ben ~ US Ski Team & SMS T2 member to help support his dream of being the Next Genereation Out There to grow Nordic in the USA. Ben had great performances last year at U23 Worlds and the opportunity to race at the WC in Falun. What will be next!

 

IMBA Trail Care Crew

The Trail has been started and a GREAT 3 day event was held.

Here is the Event recap from Lani & Jordan

 

With the continued growth of the sport of mountain biking, trails have the potentail to become greater community assets for many reasons. Trails have the potential to bring new faces to town from not only a tourism standpoint but also from a relocation one. Mountain bikers and other trail based recreationist’s value trail access as an important component to a housing purchase. In Rice Lake, WI this past weekend we were greeted by many enthusiastic residents and community officials interested in local trail development. “I moved back here because of the potential access the area provides.” Explained local rider, “Our house is located a few minutes away from the county forest and I have been walking around out there just dreaming of the trails we could build out there.”

See the Entire article at ~ https://www.imba.com/blog/tcc-jordan-and-lani/community-support-pushes-trails-forward-rice-lake-wi#comment-form

 

Logo_of_IMBA

 

Get Out There & Ride!

Just a little update on Local Rides happening:

Rice Lake: Herd Of Turtles https://www.facebook.com/pages/Herd-of-Turtles-Cycling-Club/234456249906573

Tuesday’s from Turtleback in Rice Lake 5:30

Details: Matt Nelson ~ info@fgproducts.com

Spooner: WildCat & City Park Mountain Bike Trails

Wednesday night at 6pm from the Wildcat Trail Head. The parking lot trail head is well marked on the south side of hwy 70 roughly 4 miles east of Spooner on hwy 70. We are hoping to get all levels of riders and all trails are well marked and mapped.

Details: Kent Adams ~ kadams@kwanightfall.com or 612-812-4548

Hayward: New Moon Group Ride

Tuesday’s 5:30 From New Moon

Details: New Moon ~ customerservice@newmoonski.com

 

Family Ski & Nikkerbeiner

Gather with your Friends, Family & More!

Get Out the Knickers, Wooden Skis, and Bamboo Poles!

In 1973, the first year of the Birkie, cross country skiers were sporting the best athletic gear of the day — woollen knickers, wooden skis, and bamboo poles.

You can re-live that era by participating in the Birkie “Nikkerbeiner.” This retro 5K ski tour on wooden skis has been named after the Norwegian word for knickers. This event will take place on Main Street, Hayward, at 3:30 p.m., Friday, February 20th.  The event will start just prior to the Family Fun Ski 5K/10K.

 

IPC World Championships

Cable, Wisconsin, USA will host the 2015 IPC Nordic Skiing World Championships, the third time the United States will host the event and the first time in Wisconsin. Over 150 athletes from 20 countries are expected to compete in the event between 23 January – 1 February 2015 which will be staged on the very same trail system where the first able-bodied cross-country skiing World Cup was born in 1978.

All training and competitions for the Championships will be hosted on Telemark Resort property located just three miles east of the town of Cable. The storied property, which sits along the nearly one million acre Chequamagon National Forest, boasts over 300km of groomed cross-country ski trails and serves as the starting point of the American Birkenbeiner, which is the largest cross country ski race in North America.

Nestled at the base of Mount Telemark, the venue is outstanding, of international standard with appropriate access and located within seven miles of the Athlete’s Village.

http://www.paralympic.org/cable-2015

A Challenging Telemark Chase!

This past weekend two days of Fantastic JNQ, High School & Middle School racing was held on the Telemark Grounds ~ The Telemark Chase. Saturday’s Classic events & Sunday’s Freestyle gave a terrifically challenging course to all of those who participated. We were Out There to provide race service for the CVN ( https://www.facebook.com/cvnskiteam ) Team. With Lots of Fantastic teams from LNR ( https://www.facebook.com/GoTraining ) ANST ( https://www.facebook.com/skiwithanst ) Wausau ( https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wausau-Nordic-Ski-Club/73769576683 ) and more. These young athletes brought their “A” game for competition & effort on this difficult course. It is great to see the “Next Generation” of Nordic ski racers pushing the limits on their road to higher level competition.

Tuscobia Winter Ultra

The 2014 Tuscobia Winter Ultra will take place in……. 2015.  We will  refer to the upcoming  Tuscobia Winter Ultra as the 2014/15 edition, in a meager attempt to avoid confusion.

January 1-3, 2015
Thursday – Saturday.

Additional info: http://tuscobia.wordpress.com/